pig in a poke’: An object offered in a manner that conceals its true value, especially its lack of value, This expression alludes to the practice of substituting a worthless object, for the costly suckling pig a customer has bought and wrapping it in a poke, or sack. It dates from a time when buyers of groceries relied on a weekly farmers' market and, unless they were cautious enough to check the poke's contents, would not discover the skullduggery until they got home. The word poke dates from the 13th century but is now used mainly in the southern United States.
Posted: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 9:27 am
A reader recently suggested that our county might benefit from the potential taxes purported to be paid by Virginia Uranium for the privilege of mining uranium.
However, on closer scrutiny the situation does not appear quite so clear.
Pittsylvania County already has one of the lowest land values in Virginia.
One needs only to look at the number of properties in proximity to the proposed mine that are currently for sale, the asking prices (which have often been decreased), and the number of days such properties have been on the market, to realize the severely negative impact even a proposed mine has on their values.
Per the 2012 budget, Pittsylvania County expects about $18.5 million in real estate taxes and mobile home fees.
If one accepts a modest 10 percent reduction in property values (many properties near the mine appear to have been affected by much more than that), the negative effect of a uranium mine on the county’s property tax base would be almost $2 million a year.
Add to that the potential increase in county services needed to support the mine, let alone the deterrent effect a uranium mine might have on attracting other business to the area and any potential tax benefit appears to vanish.
Let’s be careful citizens of Pittsylvania County, lest we be sold a pig in a poke.
Robert Durr, M.D.
Long Island
http://www.wpcva.com/opinion/article_abf1d7bc-7359-11e1-a9cb-0019bb2963f4.html
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However, on closer scrutiny the situation does not appear quite so clear.
Pittsylvania County already has one of the lowest land values in Virginia.
One needs only to look at the number of properties in proximity to the proposed mine that are currently for sale, the asking prices (which have often been decreased), and the number of days such properties have been on the market, to realize the severely negative impact even a proposed mine has on their values.
Per the 2012 budget, Pittsylvania County expects about $18.5 million in real estate taxes and mobile home fees.
If one accepts a modest 10 percent reduction in property values (many properties near the mine appear to have been affected by much more than that), the negative effect of a uranium mine on the county’s property tax base would be almost $2 million a year.
Add to that the potential increase in county services needed to support the mine, let alone the deterrent effect a uranium mine might have on attracting other business to the area and any potential tax benefit appears to vanish.
Let’s be careful citizens of Pittsylvania County, lest we be sold a pig in a poke.
Robert Durr, M.D.
Long Island
http://www.wpcva.com/opinion/article_abf1d7bc-7359-11e1-a9cb-0019bb2963f4.html
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